Page 152 of Return of the Nine

“Why am I such a draw?” Ianka was looking at her sister withsuspicion.

Vida chuckled. “Every Gaian woman that they have seen has found a mate in the population of the ship. They are just trying to increase their chances.”

Ianka snorted. “They would run the other way if they had seen me enter the embassy. I was a little on the wild side.”

“The Wilders might have taken a shot.” Vida laughed and took a chair.

“Not if I was upwind, I had been walking for five days.” She wrinkled her nose.

S’rin blinked. “Where had you been living?”

“In the wild. No Gaians, no politics, no having to face the wreckage of where our parents disappeared. It was cowardly but I just couldn’t take it anymore.”

Vida sighed. “It wasn’t cowardice, it was survival. I was constantly looking for the path that only I could see and you were stuck trying to track something that wasn’t there. You needed to be active and I forgot about that. We both went mad in our separate ways.”

It was said. They had both gone mad. Ianka walked over and took her sister’s hand. Vida had already found her balance. Ianka was going to have to work for hers.

Chapter Four

The medical exam was a surprise to S’rin and Dr. Meevin. Most of Ianka’s strange talent resided in her body itself. She had more receptors in her nerve endings and sensory apparatus than any Gaian examined so far.

Vida chuckled. “And for me, my mind is lit up like a holiday in the square. Sections spark all at once. S’rin loves me for my mind.”

He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. “And your body, dearest, don’t forget that.”

Dr. Meevin rolled her eyes. “Right. That is enough of that. You are the fittest woman I have ever had the pleasure of examining, Ianka Senior. While I am curious to have your speed and strength tested, it is unnecessary to my declaring you fit for spaceflight and hand-to-hand combat if it comes down to it.”

The doctor had taken the dress, wrapped it up and forwarded it through a tube system. It would be at Vida’s quarters when they returned there.

“I don’t have any experience in fighting other bi-pedals. I stick to hunting and killing what I need to eat.”

Dr. Meevin blinked. “Right. Well, that would explain a few things.”

Ianka laughed. “It would?”

“Your body is more carnivorous than omnivorous. You need more protein than vegetation. It isn’t a common adaptation and must be difficult to deal with.”

Ianka shrugged. “I will need to get serious about it in a day or two.”

Meevin nodded. “Right. I will make a note for your rations sothat you are in fighting form when you arrive.”

“Thank you. It will be a relief because I get a little upset when my meals are messed with.”

“Noted.”

Dr. Meevin took a final tissue sample and smiled. “There. All done. You can continue on to your next appointment.”

Ianka rubbed at her wrist and looked at Vida and S’rin. “Next appointment?”

Vida wrinkled her nose. “We had an itinerary prepared the moment that we knew you were on the way. You are going to meet with Ziggy and her husband, Councillor Rothaway.”

“Why?”

“Because he is on the council and can authorize anyone who cares to join your expedition.” Vida beamed.

“You think others will want to join?” She was a little surprised.

“Of course. You might not be going to battle, but you are engaging in something exciting. The mother ship has a batch of warriors waiting for action. They are a little restless and in need of a target.”

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